Hair dryer



June 5, 1963 w. A. OMOHUNDRO 3,095,495

HAIR DRYER Filed July 1, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet l [b e/rt I 708/)? 14 0070409040 June 25, 1963 w, QMOHUNDRO 3,095,496

HAIR DRYER Filed July 1, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 five/pawn lfiwam 6? 00705047090 aim/W June 25, 1963 w. A. OMOHUNDRO a /m M w [m .s M a 7g June 25, 1963 w. A. OMOHUNDRO 3,095,496

HAIR DRYER Filed July 1. 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 4 June 25, 1963 w. A. OMOHUNDRO 3,095,496

HAIR DRYER Filed July 1, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Invent or: MY/Aam A. Omaha/Mm,

United States atent 3,095,496 HAIR DRYER William A. Omohundro, Fairiield, Conan, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed July 1, 1960, Ser- No. 40,254 13 Claims. (Cl. 219-39) This invention relates to hair dryers and more particularly to a hair dryer of a light compact construction which is easily portable and may be worn slung from the shoulder thereby permitting freedom of movement by the user.

Previously, hair dryers of this type have been large and bulky thereby raising objections such as weight, etc., which, of course, limits the mobility of the user. One of the reasons that prior art dryers were heavy and bulky is believed to be the difiiculty in utilizing new lightweight materials such as plastic for the housing. This difficulty arises because these plastic materials will not withstand great amounts of heat which naturally is encountered in such dryers. Also, these materials do not afford the greatest amount of structural rigidity which is generally required to maintain the components such as the fan and motor, a switching means, and a heating means in position during a somewhat rough usage of being carried around by the user.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a hair dryer which may be supported on the person and which has a light compact design which offers greater flexibility of movement by the user.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hair dryer embodying a small and compact unit which includes a fan and heater for passing air therethrough to a hair encompassing hood.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hair dryer utilizing a novel heating means which prevents the housing from being overheated and yet sufllciently heats the air passing therethrough.

In carrying out the invention in one form, there is provided a small compact housing for containing the hair dryer assembly which comprises two sections, preferably of plastic material, which may be fastened together to form the dryer assembly housing. Clamped between these two housing sections is a flat orifice plate upon which is securely mounted a motor, a switching assembly, and a fan and heater assembly. These components are so located upon the orifice plate that upon assembly of the unit, the fan serves to draw air into the housing and thereafter force the air past the heater assembly and subsequently to the hair of the user. The heater assembly is so constructed so as to heat the air passing therethrough a desired amount while still protecting the plastic housing from being overheated. In this manner a simple compact and efiicient hair dryer assembly is provided which may be easily supported on the body of the user with complete mobility.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. My invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the hair dryer housing showing the relative locations of the hose assembly and operating switch;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the housing;

FIG. 3 is a detailed side view, partially in section, showing the individual components Within the housing;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the hair dryer assembly with the top half of the housing removed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the orifice plate assembly showing the relative locations of the components thereon;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the heater assembly; and

P16. 7 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in cross-section of the heater assembly.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is illustrated a hair dryer assembly comprising a housing 1 with a front portion 2 and a rear portion 3, both of which are concave in shape so that when fitted together there is formed a hollow housing suitable for containing the dryer component assembly. This housing 1 is preferably constructed of a lightweight and relatively inexpensive material now generally available, such as plastic or the like. The housing sections are held together by a plurality of bolts 4 which extend through the portion 3 and screw into the other portion 2 of the housing 1. The ornamental appearance of this housing is the invention of Theodore G. Daher and Robert J. Reading and the subject of the design Patent No. 190,838 and assigned to the present assignee.

The hair dryer housing is made to be conveniently worn by a strap (not shown) slung from the shoulder of the user and attaching to the ring 5. When worn in this manner the rear portion 3 fits against the body; a resilient pad 6 is attached to this portion of the housing for the convenience of the user. It should be understood, however, that this dryer may be utilized by placing it on a fiat surface such as a table with the user sitting adjacent thereto; when used in this manner the pad 6 also serves to prevent the housing assembly from scratching the table surface.

Extending out of the housing is a control switch knob 7 which is used to control the operation of the dryer. The specific functioning of this switch knob will be explained later. Also, extending tangentially away from the generally circular shaped housing 1 is an extension 8 to which is attached a hose 9 which is used to convey the drying air to a suitable hood (not illustrated) which may fit over the user's head in some manner so that air will be directed onto the hair. In the preferred embodiment the hose 9 is of the flexible type and attached to the extension 8 by a suitable coupling 10 which allows for some freedom of movement between the hose 9 and the extension 8. It should be understood, however, that the hose 9 can be of a non-flexible type or a continuation of the extension 8 so long as it functions to convey the drying air from the hair dryer assembly 1 to a suitable hood or the like where it will serve its ultimate purpose of drying the hair of the user.

Referring now more particularly to FiGS. 3, 4 and 5, therein is shown the internal structure of the hair dryer assembly. The components of the hair dryer assembly are located on one orifice plate 11 in a breadboard" fashion which provides unique advantages for such a hair dryer assembly. In this manner a unitary rigid housing structure is provided wherein not only are the components rigidly affixed within the assembly, but the orifice plate 11 in turn serves to strengthen and add rigidity to the lightweight housing. Since the housing need not support the individual components this allows for the use of a lightweight material, such as plastic, for the housing 1. In previous attempts to use such inexpensive and lightweight materials it has been found that such materials as plastic creep or deform due to heating or else do not provide the rigidity and durability required for such usage. However, the utilization of the metallic orifice plate construction allows for the use of such lightweight materials in providing a rigid and durable dryer assembly.

Since the hair dryer may be placed in a horizontal position with the pad 6 contacting the supporting surface, section 3 of the housing 1 may be considered as having a bottom wall with an outer side wall and an inner vertically extending side wall or scroll defining an enlarged top opening. As may be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner side wall has an air outlet section which cooperates with the outer wall to direct the fan output to the connecting hose 9. The orifice plate 11 is held in position by the bolts 4 which extend through a plurality of apertured lugs integrally formed with the housing to maintain the two separate sections 2 and 3 of the housing 1 together as before described. The orifice plate is shaped to fit the internal contour of the housing 1 and extensions 12 on the orifice plate are provided with apertures to extend around the bolts 4 to maintain the orifice plate in the proper position within the housing. The orifice plate serves to divide the housing into two separate compartments, the use of which will be explained in greater detail hereafter.

Turning now to the orifice plate assembly and the components located thereon, on one side of the orifice plate 11 is located an only one speed electric motor 13 of a suitable type generally used in such fan applications. Also, fastened to the orifice plate on the side thereof is a switch 17. Extending through an opening in the center of the orifice plate 11 is a shaft 14 which is an extension of the shaft of the motor 13 and is rigidly afiixed to a fan blade 15 on the opposite side of the orifice plate. The fan blade 15 is preferably formed of plastic. The shaft is supported within the opening in the orifice plate 11 by a bearing 16 so that the shaft 14 and the fan blade 15 may rotate relative to the plate.

Also rigidly affixed to the orifice plate 11 is a switch 17 which controls the energization of the heating elements which will be more particularly described hereinafter. The switch 17 as shown is a five position switch with one position being the off position and the other four positions controlling the specific energization of the motor and the heating elements. A control arm 18 is attached to the switch to control the actuation thereof and interfits with a second arm 19; these arms may be easily separated to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the housing 1. During the assembly, the arm 19 is separated from the control arm 18 and, after the housing is assembled, the arm 19 is inserted through an opening 20 in the housing such that the control knob 7 attached thereto extends on the outside of the housing adjacent to the position indicators 21. As the control knob 7 is moved to control the actuation of the switch 17, the switch position and therefore the energization of the hair dryer is indicated by the indicators 21.

The electrical energization of the hair dryer is supplied through a suitable lead 22 which extends through an opening in the housing 1 and which may be suitably plugged into an ordinary household outlet in the conventional manner. The electrical lead 22 is connected to the various components within the dryer assembly in a conventional manner (not illustrated) such that the energization thereof is controlled by the switch 17.

In operation when the lead 22 is connected to a suitable power source such as an electrical outlet, the switch 17 may be turned on to energize the motor and the fan blade 15 is thus rotated. The fan blade 15 is of such a configuration as to draw air in through a housing opening 24. As was mentioned previously, when the orifice plate 11 is assembled within the housing 1 the housing is divided into a component compartment 25 and a fan compartment 26. The air forced in (as indicated by the arrows) enters into a component compartment 25 wherein is located the motor 13 and the switch assembly 17. From here the air is drawn through the orifice plate openings 27 into the fan compartment 26 where the fan 15 thereafter forces the air into the extension 8 and the hose 9 where it passes to the head of the user. The fan blade 15 with the surrounding housing forming the fan compartment 26 comprises a normal air fan which may utilize the centrifugal force principle to force the air out through the hose 9.

In order to heat the air before it passes to the hair of the user to accomplish the drying, a heater assembly 28 is located on the orifice plate 11 within the housing extension 8. This heating assembly comprises an elongated enclosure of a rectangular cross-section with both ends open so that the air passing through the extension 8 may pass lengthwise through the shield 29. Situated within the shield are a plurality of heating elements 30, each comprising an insulating member 31 around which is wrapped a resistance wire 32. These heating elements are mounted edgewise on the orifice plate and within the heater shield 29 in such a manner that the air passing through the heater shield passes adjacent to the heating elements and is thereby heated. A suitable mounting clip 33 is provided which fastens directly onto these heating elements and, by attachment to the orifice plate 11, maintains the heating elements in the desired position.

A unique arrangement is provided for controlling the temperature of the air in the vicinity of the heater assembly in order to prevent air at excessive temperatures from deforming the plastic housing and the other plastic parts of the improved hair dryer. This control means includes a thermostat 34 which is mounted in an aperture 35 located in one side of the shield 29. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the insulating strip 31 upon which the resistance wire heating elements .32 are mounted are provided with a plurality of openings 36. With this arrangement, the thermostat 34 may sense the radiant heat emitted from both of the resistance wires 32 since the heat radiated by the farther resistance wire 32 may pass through the openings 36 which are provided in the adjacent insulating member 31. Openings 36 also permit hot air circulation within shield 29 and serve to equalize pressures within the shield. The thermostat 34 is in electrical series with the heating elements and is preferably designed to open the heating element circuit at a temperature of approximately 200 F. in order to prevent air at excessive temperatures from deforming the plastic housing of the hair dryer and the other plastic parts of the hair dryer unit. In addition to the thermostat 34, a fusible link '37 is provided in electrical series with the heating elements for interrupting the flow of current through the heating elements in response to abnormal air temperatures. As shown more particularly in FIG. 7, the fusible link 37 is mounted on one of the insulating members 31 by rivets 38 or other suitable securing means and is connected between a resistance wire 32 and a power line lead 39. The fusible link is preferably formed of an alloy which will melt at a temperature of approximately 200 F. Since the air in the vicinity of the fusible link 37 at the up-stream end of the shield near the fan blade is somewhat cooler than the air in the vicinity of the thermostat 34, the thermostat 34 will normally open the heating element circuit before the fusible link begins to melt. However, if an abnormal temperature is encountered in the vicinity of the fan blade, and the thermostat fails to open the heating element circuit the fusible link will melt and fall to the bottom of the plastic housing through a slot 40 formed in the shield 29. It should be appreciated that with the construction shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the resistance wire 32 and the power line lead 39 will remain supported and insulated by the insulating member 31 even after the circuit has been broken by the fusible link 37. Thus, a unique fusible link and thermostat arrangement is provided for protecting the improved hair dryer from excessive temperature conditions.

When the dryer housing portions 2 and 3 are assembled with the orifice plate 11 in the desired position, the heater assembly 28 fits within, and in spaced relationship with, the extension enclosures 3. Some of the air which is forced past the heating assembly passes within the heater shield 29 where it is heated to a relatively high temperature. This air subsequently mixes with that air which passes outside of the heater shield 29, therefore resulting in a warm air which is at the desired temperature for effective hair drying.

As pointed out previously, such inexpensive materials as plastic could not be utilized in prior dryer assemblies because such materials would not stand up when subjected to the heat radiated by such heating devices. However, as herein described the novel heating shield and heating element combination allows for the use of such materials for the housing 1 since the inner shield is located in spaced relationship with the enclosure 8 and prevents direct heat radiation from the heating elements 30 to the to the walls of said extension enclosure 8 and also prevents air which is directly heated by contact with the heating elements 30 from encountering the enclosure walls. In this manner the temperature of the housing 1 adjacent the heating elements which would ordinarily be a high temperature, the highest encountered by the dryer'assembly housing, is kept at a desired minimum which is substantially below that temperature which might permanently damage the materials suggested for the present dryer assembly.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a lightweight and relatively inexpensive hair dryer assembly which may be easily worn by the user while still allowing for ease of portability. The particu lar use of the breadboard design and the cooperation of the components which make up the hair dryer assembly allow for a very comp-act and efiicient dryer. Since all of the components are located on one orifice plate a rigid construction is provided allowing for the use of a light, decorative plastic case which enhances the overall appearance of the assembly. The particular manner in which the orifice strengthens the overall dryer assembly with the securely positioned components thereon provides a vibration-free and quiet dryer unit.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of this invention, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. For instance, other configurations of the outer housing may be utilized. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side wall means and an enlarged top opening, a sheet metal supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a centrifugal fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an air outlet formed in said side wall radially outward from said fan and in substantially tangential relation to the fan, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate positioned radially outward from said fan in a tangential path leading to said air outlet, said supporting plate being larger than the enlarged top opening formed in said housing so that the bottom surface of said supporting plate rests on and is supported by the top surface of the side walls of said plastic housing with the fan and heater extending downwardly from said supporting plate between the side walls of the housing.

2. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side Wall means and an enlarged top opening, a hot air outlet formed in said side wall means, a supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a centrifugal fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate in tangential relation with said hot air outlet, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate in the air output stream of said fan leading to said outlet, said supporting plate being larger than the enlarged opening formed in said housing so that the bottom surface of said supporting plate may rest on and be supported by the top surface of the side walls of said housing, with the fan and heater extending downwardly from said supporting plate between the side walls of the housing, and a cover located above said supporting plate, said cover having an air inlet opening formed therein so that air may flow inwardly through the opening formed in said cover over the motor through the orifice in said supporting place through the heater and out of said hot air outlet.

3. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side wall means and an enlarged top opening, a sheet metal supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to' said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate in the air output stream of said fan, an air outlet formed in said side wall means adjacent said heater so that air is drawn in through said orifice by said fan and driven past said heater to said outlet, a switch fixed to said supporting plate adjacent to said motor for controlling energization of said motor and said heater, said supporting plate being larger than the enlarged top opening formed in said housing so that the bottom surface of said supporting plate may rest on and be supported by the top surface of the side walls of said housing with the fan and heater extending downwardly from said supporting plate between the side Walls of the housing.

4. A hair dryer assembly comprising: a plastic housing having side walls, a plurality of generally cylindrical lugs integrally formed with said housing, said lugs being connected to the side walls of said housing and being arranged generally parallel to each other and to the side Walls of the housing, screw receiving apertures formed in each of said lugs, a supporting member having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting member, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting member, said fan being fixed to said output shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater fixed to said supporting member, air outlet means formed in said housing at a location such that air is drawn through said orifice by said fan and directed past said heater to exit through said outlet, a plurality of screw receiving means integrally formed in said supporting member at the end portions thereof, and a plurality of connecting means extending through the screw receiving means formed at the end portions of said supporting member and the screw receiving apertures formed in said lugs for securely connecting said supporting member to said housing.

5. A hair dryer assembly comprising a housing having side walls, a plurality of generally cylindrical lugs integrally formed with said housing, said lugs being arranged generally parallel to each other and to the side walls of the housing, screw receiving apertures formed in each of said lugs, a supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate in the air stream of said fan, an air outlet formed in one of said walls located such that air drawn in through said orifice by the fan is directed past said heater to the outlet, a plurality of screw receiving apertures formed in end portions of said supporting plate, and a plurality of screws extending through the screw receiving apertures formed in said supporting plate and the screw receiving apertures formed in said lugs for securely connecting said supporting plate to said housing.

6. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having side walls, a plurality of generally cylindrical lugs integrally formed with said housing, said lugs being arranged generally parallel to each other and to the side walls of the housing, screw receiving apertures formed in each of said lugs, a sheet metal supporting place having an orifice, a motor fixed to the top side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending downwardly through said orifice, a fan positioned below said orifice, said fan being fixed to said downwardly extending shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater mounted on the bottom side of said orifice plate in the air stream of said fan, an air outlet in said housing positioned so that air drawn in through said orifice is directed past said heater and through said outlet, said heater including a shield having a bottom wall and two generally parallel side walls extending upwardly therefrom, the upper portions of said side walls being fixed to the supporting plate, a generally fiat insulating plate positioned within said shield and arranged with the major surfaces thereof generally parallel to the side walls of said shield, a resistance wire heating element wound around said insulated plate, a plurality of apertures formed in said insulated plate adjacent to said resistance wires for permitting air to flow from one side of said insulated plate to the other side thereof to thereby effectively transfer heat to the air within said shield, and a thermostat in electrical series with said heating element for controlling the temperature of the air within said shield.

7. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side wall means and an enlarged top opening, a supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, air outlet means formed in said side wall means for receiving air drawn in through said orifice by said fan, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate adjacent to said fan and positioned within said air outlet means, said heater including an insulating member having a resistance Wire wound thereon, a shield having a bottom wall and two upwardly extending side walls, the top portion of the side Walls of said shield being connected to said supporting plate for partially enclosing said insulating member and resistance wire so that air from said fan may be forced through said shield where it is heated by said resistance wire, said shield being spaced from said housing so that a cooling air stream is caused to flow between said shield and said plastic housing.

8. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side wall means and an enlarged top opening, a supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, air outlet means formed in said side wall means for receiving air drawn in through said orifice by said fan, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate adjacent to said fan and positioned within said air outlet means, said heater including an insulating member having a resistance wire wound thereon, a shield having a bottom wall and two upwardly extending side walls, a thermostat fixed to said shield for controlling the term perature of the air within said shield, the top portion of the side walls of said shield being connected to said supporting plate for partially enclosing said insulating member and resistance wire so that air from said fan may be forced through said shield where it is heated by said resistance wire, said shield being spaced from said housing so that a cooling air stream is caused to flow be-l tween said shield and said plastic housing.

9. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side wall means and an enlarged top opening, a supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate adjacent to and in the air stream of said fan, an air outlet formed in said side wall means adjacent said heater, said heater including an insulating member having a resistance wire wound thereon, a shield posi tioned within the air output of said fan and having a bottom wall and two upwardly extending side walls spaced from said housing, and a fusible link in electrical series with said heating element for de-energizating said heating element in response to abnormal temperatures within said shield.

10. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side wall means and an enlarged top opening, a supporting plate having an orifice, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a fan positioned on the other side of said supporting plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an electric heater fixed to the other side of said supporting plate adjacent to and in the air stream of said fan, air outlet means formed in said side wall means, said heater including an insulating member having a resistance wire wound thereon, a shield having a bottom wall and two upwardly extending side walls a thermostat fixed to said shield for controlling the temperature of the air within said shield, and a fusible link mounted on said insulating member in electrical series with said heating element and said thermostat for de-energizing said heating element in response to abnormal temperatures within said shield, the top portion of the side walls of said shield being connected to said supporting plate for partially enclosing said insulating member and resistance wire so that air from said fan may be forced through said shield where it is heated by said resistance wire, said shield walls being spaced from said housing so that a cooling air stream is drawn in through said orifice and caused to fiow between said shield and said plastic h0using to said air outlet means.

ll. A portable hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a first portion and a second portion both of which are substantially concave in shape, a sheet metal plate having an orifice therein and having a contour which conforms to the interior of said housing, said plate being supported within said housing and extending between said first and second portions to form first and second compartments in cooperation with said housing portions, a motor fixed to one side of said plate to be positioned within said first compartment, said motor having an output shaft extending through said plate orifice, a centrifugal fan positioned entirely within said second compartment, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, an air inlet in said first housing portion, an air outlet formed in said second housing portion positioned radially outward from the fan in substantially tangential relation to the fan, and an electric heater fixed to said plate and positioned within the forced air output of said fan.

12. A portable hair dryer assembly comprising first and second molded portions which cooperate together to form the hollow interior of a housing, curved wall means extending within the housing from said second housing portion toward said first housing portion, a flat plate having an orifice therein and having a shape conforming to said curved wall means, said plate extending in a direction perpendicular to said wall means to form first and second compartments in cooperation with said first and second housing portions respectively, a motor supported by said plate and positioned within said first compartment, said motor having an output shaft extending through said plate orifice, a centrifugal fan positioned within said curved wall means in said second compartment and mounted on said shaft to be rotatably driven by said motor, an air inlet in said first housing portion positioned so that air drawn in by said fan flows by said motor and through said plate orifice, an air outlet formed in said wall means and said housing in substantially tangential relation to the fan, and an electric heater fixed to said plate and positioned within said air outlet so that the forced air output of said fan is heated as it leaves said housing.

13. A hair dryer assembly comprising a plastic housing having a bottom wall, generally vertically extending side walls means and an enlarged top opening, a hot air outlet t'ormed in said side wall means, a supporting plate having an orifice therein and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said side wall means, a motor fixed to one side of said supporting plate, said motor having an output shaft extending through said orifice, a centrifugal fan positioned on the other side of said plate, said fan being fixed to said shaft so as to be rotatably driven by said motor, a cover located above said supporting plate and having an air inlet, an electric heater mounted on said orifice plate in the air output srteam of said fan, said heater including a shield having a bottom wall and two generally parallel side walls extending upwardly therefrom, the upper portions of said side walls being fixed to the orifice plate, a pair of generally fiat insulating plates positioned within said shield and arranged with the major surfaces thereof gen erally perpendicular to said orifice plate, heating means wound around each of said insulating plates, and a thermostat in electrical series with said heating element for controlling the temperature of the air within said shield, said thermostat being mounted on one of said shield side walls adjacent one of said insulating plates, and said one insulating plate having an opening therein for permitting said thermostat to sense the radiant heat emitted from the heating element wound on the other of said insulating plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,047 Lum Mar. 23, 1926 1,707,554 Hendry Apr. 2, 1929 2,041,687 Benson May 26, 1936 2,332,639 Hudson Oct. 26, 1943 2,466,915 Shields Apr. 12, 1949 2,514,528 Wahl July 11, 1950 2,645,034 Hupp July 14, 1953 2,834,866 Bentzman May 13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 616,738 Great Britain Jan. 26, l949 

12. A PORTABLE HAIR DRYER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND MOLDED PORTIONS WHICH COOPERATE TOGETHER TO FORM THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF A HOUSING, CURVED WALL MEANS EXTENDING WITHIN THE HOUSING FROM SAID SECOND HOUSING PORTION TOWARD SAID FIRST HOUSING PORTION, A FLAT PLATE HAVING AN ORIFICE THEREIN AND HAVING A SHAPE CONFORMING TO SAID CURVED WALL MEANS, SAID PLATE EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID WALL MEANS TO FORM FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS IN COOPERATION WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND HOUSING PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY, A MOTOR SUPPORTED BY SAID PLATE AND POSITIONED WITHIN SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, SAID MOTOR HAVING AN OUTPUT SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PLATE ORIFICE, A CENTRIFUGAL FAN POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CURVED WALL MEANS IN SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT AND MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT TO BE ROTATABLY DRIVEN BY SAID 